Terraka Garner
Freelance Writer
The Idaho State University Jazz Band will host its 28th annual Jazz Festival on Feb. 6 and 7.
The presentations and performances will feature two members from the band “The Yellowjackets,” Grammy award-winning tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer joined by keyboardist Russell Ferrante.
Jazz bass player Aaron Miller alongside ISU graduate and local drummer Shane Lindsay will be playing with Mintzer and Ferrante as a quartet on Friday, Feb. 6 at the Portneuf Valley Brewery from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at a cost of $10. Doors open at 7 p.m.
“I would encourage students to come by for that. You [rarely,] if ever, have a chance to hear jazz live, in a small room of this quality,” said ISU Director of Bands, Patrick Brooks. “If you did hear a group like this in LA or New York it would cost you $50 or $60 coverage and it would be much more expensive.”
On Saturday, Feb. 7 there will be performances and clinics offered from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. followed by an evening performance by the ISU Jazz Band displaying Mintzer’s compositions.
Both will be at the Jensen Grand Concert Hall in the Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Mintzer, Ferrante, Miller and Lindsay will accompany the band in their performance on Saturday night.
The Saturday evening performance will be free to all ISU students, $4 for pre-college students, $6 for ISU staff members and $8 for the general public.
According to Brooks, the educational components of these events are the most important parts of the entire experience.
“We look forward to it. Our students look forward to it. Students in my group are inspired,” said Brooks. “They have a professional come in and the local high schools look forward to it. It’s a good excuse to do something special.”
Mintzer has had a long career of over four decades and in his experience has established a world-wide reputation as one of the world’s top jazz tenor saxophonist players.
He and Ferrante live in Los Angeles, where they teach at the University of Southern California.
Ferrante has performed for and produced records for artists such as Joni Mitchell, Bobby McFerrin and Eric Marienthal.
This year there will be 12 high schools attending the jazz festival during the day time on Saturday.
High school students in attendance on Saturday will have the opportunity to work with and gain experience from both Mintzer and Ferrante.
“It would be like having Lebron James or Tom Brady coming to campus. They lift the level of everyone around them,” said Brooks.
According to Brooks, students should come to the performance to marvel at the unique type of music that jazz artists can present. He mentioned that often times “students don’t know what to make of jazz, or maybe they’ve not heard it,” but that “usually they will hear something that is very good and then they’re very surprised.”
In the past famous performers, and according to Brooks, very noteworthy jazz musicians Dennis Diblasio, Jeff Jarvis and Larry Goldings have performed for ISU students, producing a great outcome and great popularity.
“[The artists ISU brings in each year] are operating artistically at a whole different level,” said Brooks.
When in pursuit of a performer for the annual Jazz Festival, “whoever is the band director looks for a good excuse to have a jazz party and to have some really good guest soloists on campus,” said Brooks.
